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Four Balloons Shot Down After Found Floating in American Airspace

What were they, and what was their purpose?

By:  |  February 18, 2023  |    565 Words
GettyImages-1246788286 (1) balloons

(Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Throughout February, four balloons were discovered floating over the United States. Government officials are reportedly still perplexed about what precisely the flying objects are and why they are hovering above different parts of the US. At this point, the UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) are not considered a threat. Still, the military reacted, and the unknown intruders to US airspace have all been shot down from the sky. So what is known about the objects, and why are they in the US?

Balloon #1

The first balloon, believed to be a spying device sent by the Chinese government, was shot down at 2:39 p.m. EST off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The 200-foot-tall object flew approximately 60,000 feet in the air and was first spotted in Alaska on January 28, 2023. The Chinese government has denied accusations of the object being a spying device and instead suggested that it was likely a weather monitoring system that had flown off course.

Balloon #2

GettyImages-1247115936 balloon

Recovery of the Chinese spy balloon (Photo by Ryan Seelbach/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

The second unknown orb is described as about the size of a small car. It floated at around 40,000 feet and was first located on February 9. This UFO was shot down north of Alaska by an F-22 Raptor at 1:45 p.m. EST on February 10. Those responsible for the recovery of the debris noted that there did not seem to be any mechanism in place that would allow the craft to fly.

Balloon #3

The cylindrical-shaped balloon is the third of four unknown objects shot out of the sky this month. This was smaller than the “spy” balloon shot down on February 4. Canadian forces are responsible for collecting and analyzing the wreckage because it was shot down about 100 miles from the US border in Canada. This object flew at an altitude of about 40,000 feet and was first seen above Alaska on Feb 10.

Balloon #4

The fourth and so far the final balloon was taken out of the air on February 12. This object had eight sides and only floated about 20,000 feet up. Rather than using an F-22 Raptor as they had on the others, the US Air Force used an F-16 Fighting Falcon and missed the target with the first shot. Thankfully, the missile landed in Lake Huron, and no damage was done. The second missile hit its mark, and the retrieval of the debris is underway.

Why Balloons?

The US military has been adamant that the UFOs pose no threat to anyone. Investigations have begun about the objects and why they were found floating mysteriously in American skies. With the recovery of the remains still taking place, little is being said about what exactly the various orbs are. Speaking about the last three floating spheres, a White House National Security spokesperson stated, “These objects did not closely resemble, and were much smaller than, the [4 February] balloon and we will not definitively characterize them until we can recover the debris.”

Differing opinions are surfacing as people attempt to uncover what the balloons actually are. Some believe the objects are aliens, while others are sure they are simply weather-monitoring devices. Some are concerned about whether the strange balloons could be spying on us and question how they could go so long without being noticed or removed from US air space.

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